The DPP: Consistently Progressive – DPP Statement from the October 18 National Party Congress

October 23, 2009

The DPP: Consistently Progressive
DPP Statement from the October 18 National Party Congress

After going through more than a year of hard lessons, the roughest period the DPP has faced since our founding, we are moving away from past setbacks and starting off with new and solid steps. In the DPP’s 23 year history, we experienced victories and defeats, but relying on the power of reflection, we haven’t given up, despite our ups and downs, on our consistently progressive spirit.

Being consistent progressives is our only road to success. We must have confidence in our ability to be modern day revolutionaries. We must have the faith and mission of social movements. We must use our ability to think rationally and persuasively to break out of the old blue and green straightjackets and focus our society’s energy, and we must be leaders and not simply parrot nice words. This requires selflessness and a spirit of sacrifice.

At the same time, we must keep preserving our ideals, tolerance, discipline, cooperation, confidence and diversity. We must be able to convince the public that the DPP is a stabilizing force for Taiwan – the most reliable political team and Taiwan’s most loyal defender.

When preparing for this task, we must acknowledge that achieving political power means carrying out societal change, and not the enjoyment of power. If we cannot acknowledge this and forget the basic principles of “Honesty, Diligence, and Love for our Native Land”, we are no different that the KMT.

Standing on the platform of “Honesty, Diligence and Love for our Native Land”, we can set in practice the DPP’s ultimate values, which are: securing Taiwan, societal change and care for the people:

We must ensure that, given the volatile international situation in which Taiwan finds itself, we protect the independent development and the dignity of our country, maintaining our power to have critical influence and absolutely refusing to tilt towards China.

We must let Taiwan’s democratic system gain strength and consolidation. We must allow fair political competition, allowing the achievement of direct people’s power, provide for balance between the Executive Yuan and the Legislative Yuan and for the judicial process to become independent without any political interference.

We must allow for Taiwan to become modernized with a competitive governing system. We must grant local governments fair distribution of resources and the autonomy to fulfill their responsibilities, and we must also improve local government competitiveness.

We must empower Taiwan to achieve fair and sound economic governance that is capable of sustaining long-term durable economic and industrial strategies, clarifying China’s role and weight in Taiwan’s economic development. This plan would transform Taiwan into a modernized welfare state that is capable of fairly distributing financial resources and protecting disadvantaged groups at the same time.

Even though the KMT’s failures have led people to be disappointed, we must fully understand that this does not necessarily mean a transfer of the people’s support towards the DPP. The people expect the DPP bring a measure of hope and good guidance, to move Taiwan along the right path and do so with honesty and competence. This time we must seize the opportunity to prove our worth and not let this fleeting opportunity slip away.

Under the Ma administration, the people have already suffered greatly. The DPP vows to take on these challenges and to continue moving in a progressive direction, to prove itself once again capable, putting an end to chaos and injustice, bringing back a happy Taiwan for our people, a Taiwan that is a country filled with hope.